A small moment passed in which Josh worried Mara had lost consciousness, leaving him to fight on his own. But then she stirred, and he turned his focus back on Darren.

Josh leapt to his feet and charged as Mara used a shelf to help her stand up. Darren's eyes flicked to Josh a moment too late. He reached Darren and delivered a punch to his jaw. A spark lit in Josh as Darren jerked back from the hit, and he quickly shot forward a few more. Collar bone, stomach, sternum, all making contact and eliciting grunts.

On his next punch, though, Darren stepped in. He circled Josh's arm with his own, spun around, and flung Josh. Mara yelped and jumped over Josh as he rolled across the ground.

Anger burned deep in Josh's chest as he staggered back up. He was getting really tired of being sent to the ground. He needed to help, but as he turned to see Mara ducking past attacks and retaliating with her own, he didn't know how he could. Her movements made it clear—she knew what she was doing. He did not, and he risked getting used as a human shield again if he ran in while she was there.

Close combat isn't really Mara's thing, but she's still holding back, the voice said, a momentary distraction from Josh's frustration. I saw her energy earlier. She isn't able to release the possession, and she won't kill an innocent person.

Josh twitched, though he didn't know if it was from annoyance at the voice or the urge to rush in. Great pep talk, Voice. Really inspired.

Will you just let me talk? the voice grumbled back. She can't release the possession, but there's a way you can.

What? Josh straightened to his full height, his eyes widening. Why didn't you say so earlier? Tell me!

I tried to, but you got distracted.

A sudden blur dragged Josh away from the conversation once more. Mara had knelt on the floor and swung out her leg. It collided with Darren's, and the possessed boy collapsed to the ground.

Unless she has it handled, Josh said as she cocked an arm back. The ice fell away from it, but a faint blue light remained around her hand. Her punch made contact, but a moment later, she ducked away from Darren. Both hopped to their feet, but neither moved.

Darren met Mara's gaze for a moment, then he smirked for the first time since finding them. "Looks like it's my win." With that, he raised his hand and lazily pointed Mara's dagger in her direction. At some point during the scuffle, he'd managed to steal it.

She shifted into a lower stance, her face a mask of calm even as her blue eyes darted between Darren and the blade. "You can't win with a single blade."

His smirk only grew. "Depends what you consider winning." He flipped the dagger in his grasp, but he didn't rush forward. He didn't try to throw it. He didn't try to attack with it at all.

Instead, he placed the edge against his neck.

"Stop!" The word burst from Josh, and it felt like his heart would follow any moment.

Darren snorted. "Sure, I'll stop. If you walk forward alone and let me put this dagger in your neck instead."

His words seemed to ricochet in Josh's mind, something that was there yet refused to process. This couldn't be happening. He looked at Mara, hoping she would be more certain, that she would have the perfect solution to this.

She stood, as rigid and frozen as ice.

"So, what do you choose?" Every word almost sounded like a laugh. They struck nails into Josh's skull, trying to get the insanity of the situation to stick. "Who takes the dagger? This boy? Or you two? The choice is yours, oh great warriors of light," he said, the last word a mixture between a chuckle and snarl.

"I'm the only Paladin here," Mara said, breaking from her frozen state. "How about you and I take this somewhere else, and then you can do whatever you want with me."

Josh shook his head, but Mara couldn't see him. Any words he may have said were stuck behind a knotted-up scream of rage begging for release. Nobody would die. He couldn't allow it. Help. He had to find some way to help—

We can help, but I'll need you to make a choice.

He nearly jumped as the voice sounded again, but the words thankfully sank in. Okay. Whatever. Just tell me now.

The voice paused for a moment, and when he did speak, he sounded hesitant. This isn't how it would usually go down, and I'm sorry you have to decide like this.

Josh gritted his teeth while trying to force his face to remain neutral. Tell me!

The only way to help right now would be to accept a bond between us. It won't be an easy life after. It's really dangerous. Things like this would become normal for you. I'm... I'm sorry. It was never supposed to be like this—

I'll do it, Josh said as he stared at the dagger against Darren's neck. Not some monster trying to kill him, but Darren. Whatever it is, I'll do it.

The world erupted in a flash of blinding white light. Someone shouted, but it felt far away, almost in another world. The light seemed to seep into him, spreading warmth that soothed away the aches and pains from the fight. In their place came the swell of adrenaline. It no longer flooded him, but instead flowed like a calm river.

As the light began to fade a couple, a faint outline flickered to life in front of Josh. He couldn't make out many details—a sort of four-legged creature by the build, something jutting from its back, what looked like a tail swishing behind it, a long neck—but he could tell it was the outline's head that lowered toward him, revealing the only distinct part about it.

Vibrant, electric blue eyes gazed into him, delving deep down until Josh could feel the being's existence brush against his own.

Josh.

As the childish voice—the one that had been with him since the start of the insanity, and now the one he could feel dwelling within him—spoke, the light died away. All except light engulfing his arms.

"No..."

Josh slid his eyes toward Darren. He had an arm half-raised as if he had been guarding his eyes, the dagger held off to the side. Fear and rage warred within his gaze as he looked between Josh and Mara.

"No!" Darren cried as the anger won out. "You'll regret this decision." He brought the dagger up and began to swing it in an arc toward his chest.

Before he could stab himself, Mara dove and grabbed hold of his arm. Darren growled and started beating against her head. "Release me!"

"Shoot—" Mara's breath hitched as the dagger nicked her cheek. "Shoot him now."

That will save Darren, right? Then tell me how, Josh said to the voice.

All that energy you feel in your arms? Point your hands at Darren and will the energy to shoot out. That'll free him from the Phoenix Dragon.

Josh raised his arms, palms facing Darren. He paused. Mara still clung to Darren in her fight to keep the dagger away.

She'll move, the voice assured.

Josh blinked before refocusing on Darren. Taking a deep breath, he willed the energy to shoot out, for it to hit the other boy and release him from whatever held him in its grasp.

He didn't know what he expected, but ever since the light flashed, the world felt muted. It was a reality he moved through without truly being part of it. But as the light exploded from his hands, it all smashed into him. The buzz of adrenaline, the other presence resonating within him, the crash of a dozen aisles falling around them, and Darren's shriek as the white blast collided with him.

The light energy sputtered away as the last of it drained out of Josh, revealing Darren standing where he had been before. A dark energy shimmered around him for only a moment before vanishing. As it did, his knees buckled. Mara barely caught him before he collapsed to the ground.

"Is he okay?" Josh heaved. The adrenaline was gone, replaced by an ache much different from what he felt during the fight.

Mara checked his eyes and his pulse. She looked up at Josh, her bruised face making his chest hurt. Or maybe that was the lack of air. He couldn't tell.

"He's alive and freed. You did it."

Josh grinned, a small pressure lifting from his shoulders. Still, when he blinked, his eyes didn't open as quickly as they should. "That's great."

Mara opened her mouth to say more, but before she could, another voice shouted, "Joshua!"

He forced his body to turn, but he couldn't stop himself from swaying as he faced the other way. A brown-haired woman ran toward him, a man and boy following. They were all familiar. He blinked, his mind as sluggish as his body.

"Mom?"

The word had barely left his lips before he fell back. Darkness claimed him before he even hit the ground.

Fun fact: In the old version of this, Josh met Mara (then Luna) when she was being kidnapped by the bad guys, and he ended up saving her. In this version, she's obviously not being kidnapped and they kind of save each other. I think I like this way a lot more.

There we have it! The first battle of the book, and seems like there was something really big going on there between Josh and the voice. I honestly had a ton of fun writing up their little flash scene, as well as trying to mimic the moment reality crashes down after a high energy buzz like when the sound suddenly kicks back in during movies/shows. Hope it all worked well!

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter down below, and if you enjoyed it, don't forget to vote and comment! I also have a discord open to anyone who wants to join, and we have a section there to discuss the book :D It's in my bio if you'd like to join!